What James Potter and Severus Snape Had in Common
by Joanne of Ark
Summary: We all know that James liked Lily. We suspect that Snape liked her as well. But how much? And what happens when the rivals are pitted together first in fight and then in a mission?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi. This is my first work here, hope you like it. I don't own JP or HP or SB or RL or SS or LE or any characters portrayed here. Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey, James, wait up!" Sirius dashed up beside James, sweaty but grinning at his friend. "How's it going?"

"Oh. Hey, Sirius." James gave his friend a small smile, but said nothing more. Instead, he walked slowly across the castle grounds and came to a stop by the Great Oak. He sat down, leaning his head against the ancient bark of the tree, and was silent, staring at the lake and the other happy sixth years around it.

Sirius laughed. "Still bummed about Lily? Come off it, man. You know she likes you."

But James did not seem to hear.

"Look at her," he said softly. "Talking to that… that…" At loss for words, he punched the ground with his fist. Sirius, finally serious, plopped down beside him.

"James, you've got so much more going for you. You're the best Seeker Gryffindor's seen in years, you get great grades, you have plenty of friends and a sense of humor, and you've got a great pureblood family to boot. She knows you're better than that bag of dirt."

"Right," James said softly, almost whispering. "You might as well say I'm a born Slytherin."

"Oh, no." Sirius sat back, staring his friend in the face. "She didn't."

When James did not answer, Sirius went on talking. "Remember, you _were_ sorted into Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat can't be wrong."

"Who says?" Pulling out his wand, James played around with it, miserable as can be. "You don't know what happened back then."

"Sure I do. The Hat wanted to put you into Slytherin and you refused. It happened to me, too, remember?"

Slowly, James shook his head. "Not like this. It wanted to put me into Slytherin, yes, but you were sure that you wanted Godric's house. I wasn't like you, Sirius, I was _tempted_. I almost chose Slytherin. Maybe I should change houses. Maybe she's right."

"No. Not going to happen. James, Lily's a Gryffindor. She knows you're here for the right reasons."

"Prove it," James said wretchedly. "I mean, look at her, flirting with _Snape_. You say she knows better, but I'm not seeing it."

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked worriedly. "Maybe you should come inside. Hey, Remus! Come help me out!"

The thin, pale boy appeared as if out of nowhere, taking his position by James's side. "What's wrong, Prongs?" he asked cheerfully. When James didn't answer, he looked over to Sirius, who shrugged.

"He said something about Lily and changing houses," he told Remus.

"What?" Remus asked, shocked. "That's a bad idea, mate. Dumbledore'snot going to like that."

"So?" James asked carelessly "That's just too bad for him."

Remus and Sirius exchanged a worried glance. "Uh-oh. James, what happened?"

"She basically told me that I was a dirty, bullying rag on which she'd wipe her feet on if she wasn't terrified of the germs." He pocketed his wand. "She also called me a Slytherin-like prat and told me to check with the Sorting Hat. She also said that I was a show-off and she'd rather go out with Salazar Slytherin's _pet snake_ than me."

"What else did she say?" Remus asked.

"She went on to call me something else, but I stopped her. Then she walked off to talk to Snape."

"Ouch," Sirius and Remus said together.

"Don't take it too hard, mate," Sirius said. "She's a girl. She's supposed to say that kind of thing. You know, look. There's Snape. You can go have some fun."

He meant it as a joke, but James didn't take it that way.

"You know what?" he said. "Maybe I will."

"I didn't mean that!" Sirius called after James as he stood and walked towards Severus Snape.

-----

"Hey, Snivellus!"

James walked briskly across the castle grounds and stopped in front of the tall, greasy-haired boy. Snape rose to his feet, pulling out his wand at the same time.

"Hello, _Potter_," he spat. "To what do I owe the honor?"

James lifted his wand. "What were you talking to Evans about, _Snivellus_?"

"It's none of your business, Potter."

They pointed their wands at one another, each preparing to defect the other's blow. Now it was only the matter of who went first.

---

Behind them, Remus and Sirius looked anxiously at one another.

"You get Lily," Sirius said quickly. "I'll interfere."

He ran up the slope towards the two boys, slowly circling each other. A group of students had already begun to gather.

---

"You want to duel, Potter? Perhaps about a certain friend of yours?" Snape spat at James.

"Why not?" James replied with an angry sneer. "We're here, are we not?"

"Then _bow_, Potter!" Snape flicked his wand, but James reacted with a curse, blocking Snape's spell at the same time.

"What are the stakes?" James asked while activating _Expelliarmus_.

"You are a better," Snape stated with an evil smile, blocking the spell.

---

"Lily!" Remus cried, coming to a stop. "Come now. James and Snape are fighting"

"About what?" the green-eyed girl gasped.

"You," Remus answered. Grabbing her by the arm, he took off up the hill.

---

"Better than you, yes," James retorted, casting another spell. "Loser never comes near Lily again."

"Deal," Snape said, blocking it.

"Stop!" Neither paid any attention to the cry. One spell followed another as the battle leaned first one way and then the other. At last, James managed to disarm his opponent.

"That's it then, Snivellus," he smirked.

---

Sirius and Remus stood by Lily, watching from the sidelines. They were filled with a growing worry for their friend and the bet he was making. The two were pretty evenly matched, and although James was clearly the favorite of the students, Snape was filled with a want for revenge. Revenge for the wrongs all three of them done him. James was taking the rap for petty tricks and pranks all three of them had played.

If Snape's anger was greater than that of James's, he had the lead. Even without a wand.

-

Lily had to admire James's skill and the Slytherin's perseverance. She could almost like the two boys if not for…

She did not get a chance to finish her thought. With the rest of the crowd, she gasped at what happened next.

---

Snape, half terrified, half angry, leaped at James. The latter extended his wand, but it snapped easily under Snape's weight. In moments, the two were rolling around in a ball on the ground, engaged in a good ol' fashioned catfight.

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_AN: So, what did you think? Should I go on? Review or Snape will demonstrate his skills with a certain curse. You know what I'm talking about,_


	2. Chapter 2

_AN:_ _Time for your punishments, m'dears... (evil Voldemort laugh). I don't own HS anyore thsn I own JP, SS, LE, SB, or RL. Just to clear that up._

* * *

Snape received a well-aimed punch in the nose, James a black eye, but neither backed down. Instead, it made them fight all the harder, putting their strength into the shoves and pulls. James knew that even though he was of a better build than the Slytherin boy, he would not escape going to bed with numerous bumps and bruises. He took refuge in the thought that Snape could not avoid these either.

He was beginning to tire, and he could see Snape feeling the exhaustion as well. Still, both refused to give up.

All the same, James soon broke away from his opponent, and they stood apart, watching each other warily. Blood trickled from Snape's nose, and he wiped it away with his hand, glancing at the ground to find his wand. James seized the chance eagerly, working with quick precision. He had not been playing Quidditch for five and a half years for it not to pay off.

Without a moment's hesitation, he aimed a kick at Snape's knee and a punch to the stomach, bowling Snape over. He lifted his hand and –

"Potter!" Horace Slughorn came running down the slope from the castle, shouting as he went. "Snape!"

He stopped, breathing heavily, between the two scowling sixth-years. They glared at each other, but did not continue the fight.

"I am very disappointed in you, Mr. Severus. As head of your house, I will give you your punishment later." He paused to take a breath, and went on. "And Mr. James Potter! As a Gryffindor, I would think you better than a fight in front of your fellow students, especially the younger years!"

Only then did he seem to notice that there were other students around. "There's nothing to see here, move along," he said sternly. "The fight is over now, nothing to see."

There were a few muttered groans from the students who wanted to watch Snape and James get in trouble, but they cleared off quickly. When the last child, a twelve-year-old second year, walked off, Horace continued.

"I am surprised at both your actions. Fighting like drunken Muggles on a back alley! Mr. Snape, you have broken Mr. Potter's wand. You will have to replace it."

"I don't need anything from him," James spat, glaring at the Slytherin boy.

"Nonetheless, it is necessary. Mr. Potter, you have injured Mr. Snape's nose. You will accompany him to the hospital wing."

"Professor, I can manage by myself," Snape said, maintaining a respectful tone.

"I am glad, Mr. Snape, but Mr. Potter will accompany you. If I hear from anyone that you boys were fighting, I will send you both to Professor Dumbledore. Mr. Potter, you will get your punishment from Professor McGonagall; Mr. Snape, I will get back to you on the issue. Meanwhile, I will see you both in my office every night for the rest of the week, starting tomorrow. Seven o'clock should be good."

"Yes, sir," the boys answered simultaneously. They turned and walked away under Slughorn's watchful eye.

"Hurry up," James muttered in Snape's direction. "I don't have all day, you know."

"I'm sure you have better things to do," Snape replied sarcastically. "You're such a Golden Boy. You must be extremely busy, hmm, Potter?"

James turned to face him, his eyes burning into Snape's. "You listen to me, _Snivellus_, and you listen well. I am not going to lower myself to your level again; I'm not going to roll on the ground with the dogs. You've already realized that I can fight your Muggle way –"

"How dare you, Potter! I am no Muggle, you –"

"Don't interrupt me, _Snivellus_. Like I said, you know I can fight your way. But can you fight my way?"

Snape's eyes flashed with hatred.

"You think you're all that, Potter, with your rich parents and your friends and so-called skills, but you are nothing compared to me. My father may be a Muggle, but my mother was a powerful witch, unlike your worthless parents."

James would have hit him if it was not for the fact that Slughorn was watching them. Instead, he reached out to grab the Slytherin's shirt. Pulling him closer he lowered his voice.

"My worthless parents are better than your Muggle father and your half-blood mother, _Snivellus_."

Snape was about to explode; his face turned red and his fists clenched as he prepared to shout out an angry reply. A warning call from Slughorn stopped him from doing any such thing, and he fell silent. James let go of his shirt and strode up the stairs leading to the castle. After a few moments' hesitation, Snape followed, a scowl painted on his face.

Only once they were inside did he speak again, stopping in his tracks. James whirled around impatiently. "Well, what it is now?" he asked.

"So what decision have we come to about Evans?" Snape asked quietly.

Glancing through the window, James noticed Slughorn begin walking up the stairs leading to the castle. He took hold of Snape's sleeve and began walking away, forcing Snape to come as well.

Snape pulled his arm away with a grimace, and repeated his question. "Well?"

"Why don't we just ask her?"

"That would be too easy. And, what if she can't decide?"

"Then we'll decide for her." James stopped, forcing Snape to stop as well. He turned to face the Slytherin. "Tomorrow at lunch, we ask her. If she can't choose, we'll meet at the Forbidden Forest at midnight."

"Deal."

* * *

"You decided on _what_?" Sirius asked loudly.

"Shhh!" James looked around. "Keep your voice down!"

"But she might choose him!"

"I can take the risk."

"Remus will agree with me – this is not a good idea!"

"Look," James said patiently. "I… we'll see."

"I don't like the sound of that," Sirius groaned. "Why don't I like the sound of that…?"

* * *

"Hey, Lily," James and Snape said together the next day at lunch, sliding into seats on either side of her.

"Hello," Lily replied. "What do you two want now?"

"Nothing," James said, the pure image of an offended boy. He reached for a sandwich and some cereal. "Why would you say that?"

"Because… If you're going to eat that, don't eat it in front of me! Ugh, your manners are positively disgusting."

"If you don't want to see me eating, leave," James suggested, but put aside the cereal. "So, Lily – "

"If it's about me going to Hogsmeade with you tomorrow, let me think it over. NO!"

"No, E – Lily. That isn't even close to what we wanted to ask you." Snape shook his head.

"We would just like to know which one of us you… prefer," James said casually. "We can't fight anymore, according to Slughorn – "

"_Professor_ Slughorn!" Lily interrupted, frowning already.

"So we decided to bring the choice to you."

"Choose between the two of _you_?" Lily cried, disgusted. Her suspicions had proved correct. "Ew, no!"

The boys looked at each other and nodded. Snape stood and left the table, his face blank. James paused a moment.

"What if there was only one choice?" he asked quietly. Lily was still wondering what he meant when he rose confidently from the table and walked away, a smile on his face.

She turned to look at Sirius, standing behind her. He shrugged, and turned to leave.

"Do you know what this is about?" Lily asked. He forced a smile.

"No idea."

She put a hand on her hip. "No, seriously."

"Seriously," he replied, and left, leaving the red-haired girl alone to ponder on the question.

* * *

At seven o'clock exactly, Snape stood at the door of Slughorn's office. It was locked, and there was no one inside.

He waited for an approximate ten or so minutes when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He turned eagerly, relishing the thought that James was not yet present. His good mood fell when the person approaching the office was not his teacher, Slughorn, but his foe, James Potter.

"He's not here yet," he said coldly in James's general direction.

"I can see that," James replied, his voice just as icy. "I'm not blind, you know."

Then next five minutes were spent in silence. Snape stood by the door, motionless, while James fooled around with his Snitch. He tossed it in the air and caught it again, let it fly and captured it. He made complicated lunges and throws, making Snape scowl. He knew perfectly well that the other boy could not copy his movements, and exaggerated his skill. For a moment, the image of Lily watching him in admiration crossed his mind and he grinned, never stopping the endless game of cat and mouse with the Golden Snitch.

"Put that away," Snape said crossly after a few minutes of watching the Gryffindor showing off.

"Make me," James answered, pitching the Snitch into the air. Snape made a grab for it, but at that exact moment Slughorn chose to enter.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What did I say about fighting, boys?" he asked calmly, flicking his wand to open the door. He motioned them inside with his hand. "Time for our lesson. Let's see what we can do with this."

That did not sound good to James. He glanced around the office, looking for anything suspicious.

A long, thin red carpet was stretched out on the floor – nothing interesting for the coolness of the dungeon floor. Healing potions and chocolate were plentiful on Slughorn's desk and smelling salts were also present. The chocolate might have been Slughorn's, knowing his love for sweets, and the potions could be explained by the fact that he was the Potions master. Smelling salts, though, were a different matter.

The shutters were closed, and there were no breakables to be seen. There was no ink, no desks set out, no quills and parchment that were usual to detention. There were no papers on Slughorn's desk and all the windows were protected by a clearly visible strengthening spell.

The door swung shut and James was left with a strange and very unsure feeling.

"Now, boys. Shall we begin?"

* * *

_AN: Ooooh... What do you think is going to happen next? Review, or Slughorn_ will _turn to the side of the Dark Lord. _


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